Cigarette package



NOV. 29, R. p WARE CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed April 21, 1932 ATTO RNEYS Patented Nov. 29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFI-Ica RECHARD P. WARE, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKAGE IMPROVEMENT C0., INC., 0F DETEOT, MTCIIIGAN, A CORPORATION OF :MICHIGAN CIGARETTE PACKAGE Application ,filed April 21,

This invention relates to packages, particularly those containing elongated articles such as cigarettes. y

The principal object of the invention is a package which is eminently satisfactory as a packagawhich may be used for dispensing articles contained therein, singly, and which may be made, economically and readily, with conventional. machinery and by conventional methods. i

Stillfurther, objects of the invention will become readily apparent from the descri tion of embodiments thereof and from tie appended drawing disclosing the same.

In this drawing,

Figure 1 shows in transverse elevational section a device of the invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective representations of the container part ofthe package, and

Figs. 4 to 6 are representations of the operation of the device. y

As indicated in the drawing, the package includes a container and an insert, these parts, in the preferable form, being initially separate, though it is possible to fabricate the package with these parts integral with each other. The container is made from a single sheet or blank cut and folded to provide a front wall 10, side walls 11 and 12, a back wall 14, a bottom wall 15 and atop wall 16, these coming together in a manner that is well known to form a complete container.

The front wall may be scored or cut near its lower edge to provide a bendable flap 18 adapted to be bent back to create a dispensing opening 19 and the scored lines for the tab 18 may be, and preferably are covered and concealed by the usual internal revenue stamp 20, disposed, as shown in Fig. 1, in such a manner that it must be broken before the opening at 19 can be created.

While in the form shown the tab 18 is bent back into the container it might well be pulled 1 forwardly to form a shelf down which a dispensed cigarette may roll. v Y

It will also be understood at this time that there need be no vtab 18 but instead a preformed opening 1Q may be provided and may 50 be concealed by the stamp 20.

1932. Serial No. 606,573.

The side Wall 11 and the rear wall 14, as

shown, are complete walls and need have no unusual configurations or cuts therein. The side wall 12, in the form of Fig. 2, is hingedly connected to the front wall 10 on the line 22 and is provided on its other edge with a pair of tabs 23 and 24 which may be glued to the rear wall inside the container to complete the container. The side wall 12a in the container of Fig. 3, is hingedly connected t-o the rear wall 14a rather than to the front wall 10a, and its tabs 23a and 24a may be glued to the front wall rather than t-o the rear wall.

The top wall 16 has a tab 27 which may be glued to the inner surface of the front wall 10 and furthermore may have a cut-out 28 terminating on the hinge line of tab 27, which hinge line forms the upper front edge of the package.

Other forms of containers might well be provided and are not disclosed here for the reason that they will readily occur to those skilled in the use of receptacle manufacture, the only requirement for these containers 75 being their successful cooperation with the novel insert about to be described.

In Fig. 1 there is disclosed an insert which may be made from a uniform width strip bent and folded as indicated. `The insert, fundamentally has a resilient supporting part and a manipulator part.

The supporting part includes a portion 30 secured between the tab 26 and the rear wall 14, a portion 31 curved upwardly and for- G3 wardly from the portion 30, and terminating in a lip 33 integral with and secured to the forward part of a supporting section 34 curved upwardly and joined to the rear wall, at 35. The lip 33 is normally held against 90 the rear surface of the front wall 10, as indicated, by the resilience of the parts .3l-34.

rThe manipulator part includes a transverse section 37 projecting forwardly from the portion and provided with a depending J slide 38-39-40, the parts 38 and 40 being secured to each other, as shown, the slide being behind and clear of the upper portion of the front wall 10 of the container. Projecting rearwardly from the upper edge of the portion is a portion 41, clear of but lying immediately under the portion 37. The portion 41 is connected by a downwardly curved portion 42 toa fixed end 43 of the insert, the latter being glued to the portion 35 and therethrough to the rear wall.

Between the portions 30 and 35 and against the rear wall 14 the container tab 23 is glued to the rear wall, and between the portions 43 and 37 the Vtab 24 is glued to the portions 35 and therethrough to the rear wall. Between the upper part of portion 38 andthe front wall 10, the tab 27 is glued to the front Wall'.

The parts described constitute a complete package for cigarettesV or the likev and Vpresent no openings etc., whichmight be considered i objectionable. In Vassembling the container and filling the same with cigarettes the container proper i is first completely formed except that side wall 12 is not secured tothe rear wall. The folded insert is then mounted in theV container by sliding the same thereinto transversely, after which, cigarettes Vare placed in the container in the section thereof between the support 34 and the manipulator 38-40. The' size Vof the container 'is preferably, though not necessarily, such that the cigarettes do not lill up the entire space between thesloping'bottom 34 and the portion 41 of the manipulator, and it is 'preferred to place a follower, not shown, in the container, to be disposed on the cigarettes. After the cigarettes are in the container, the side 12 is moved towards the rear wall and the tabs 23 and 24 are' glued in place.

It will be observed that normally the distance between the edge 39-40, and the support 34 is greater than the diameter of a cigarette, and the transverse width of portion 39 is about equal to the diameter of a cigarette. Accordingly one cigarette and one only will rest on lip 33 under manipulator portion 39.

' When it is desired to use the container as a dispenser, the'opening at 19 is first created. At this time, the lip 33will be against the front wall 10, covering the opening, and a cigarettewill be positioned on the lip 33 Aunder the abutment 39 the remaining cigarettes being held back by the manipulator. When pressure is applied to the manipulator at 41, as indicated by the linger shown diagrammatically, as operating through the cut-out 28,the slide is moved down (Fig. 4) to force, downwardly, the cigarette C that is immediately under the abutment 39, and with it the lip 33, the manipulator holding back the remaining cigarettes. Downward movement is continued until the cigarette reaches the opening 19, (Fig. 5), whereupon the'cigarette will roll out through the opening and onto the 'trough 50 of a pedestal 51 upon which the container may be placed. The partswill then be'in'the position vof Fig. 5.

Release of the manipulator, by lifting the finger therefrom, will permit the lip 33 to go back against the front wall 10 sealing off the opening 19 from the cigarettes as indicated in F ig. 6. The manipulator will return upwardly and one cigarette will roll down upon lip 33.

One important feature of the construction is that the sloping bottom 34 has a resilience which tends to cause its lip 33 to approach the wall 10 before the manipulator can move far enough away from the lip 33 to permit a cigarette to roll down on to the lip 33 under abutment 39 while lip 33 is in register with the opening 19. This insures no more than one cigarette leaving the package at any one time.

lt will be observed that the package includes a. container, a manipulator preferably secured rto the upper `part ofthe rear wall, and a support 34 preferably supported from the rear wall, to seal 0H vthe discharge opening and adapted to be moved to reveal the opening 19 by the manipulator.

It will also be observed that in the preferred embodiments, the containers and the insert are made of blanks, the containers being of the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3 or of other forms, and the insert being of the form shown in Fig. 1 or of any other form which may or will be suggested.

Further, the container may be provided with means, such as a view opening, or the like, or a follower projecting portion, for indicating the number of cigarettes left in the container.

Now having described preferred embodiments of the invention, reference will be had to the following claims which determine the scope of the invention.

1. In a package, a container having a discharge opening, a manipulator having a slide section lying behind the container front wall and terminating near the discharge opening, the manipulator being resiliently connected to a wall of the container, and a resiliently formed transverse supporting member having a forward edge normally engaging the, front wall between the lower edge of the` manipulator and the opening, the objects to bev dispensed being disposed above and lying on the supporting member, with one of them normally against the front wall, betweei the lower edge of the manipulator and the edge of t-he supporting member, the manipulator being in the shape of an inverted L, and being` connected to the rear wall of the container.

2. In a package, a container having a discharge opening, a manipulator having a slide section lying behind the container-front wall and terminating near the discharge opening, the manipulator being resiliently connected to. a wall of the container, and a resiliently formed transverse supporting member having a forward edge normally engaging the front wall between the lower edge of the manipulator and the opening, the objects to 'be dispensed being disposed above and lying on the supporting member, with one of them normally against the front wall, between the lower edge of the manipulator and the edge of the supporting member, the discharge opening being in and above the lower edge of the front wall, the manipulator being in the shape of an inverted L, and being connected to the rear wall of the container.

8. In a package, a container having a discharge opening, a manipulator having a slide section lying behind the container front wall and terminating near the discharge opening, the manipulator being resiliently connected to a wall of the container, and a resiliently formed transverse supporting member having a forward edge normally engaging the front wall between the lower edge of the manipulator and the opening, the objects to be dispensed being disposed above and lying on the supporting member, with one of them normally against the front wall, between the lower edge of the manipulator and the edge of the supporting member, the discharge opening being in and above the lower edge of the front wall, the manipulator being in the shape of an inverted L, and being connected to the rear wall of the container, the manipulatcr and the supporting member being made from a folded blank.

el. In a package, a container having a discharge opening, a manipulator having a slide section lying behind the container front wall and terminating near the discharge opening, the manipulator being resiliently connected to a wall of the container, and a resiliently formed transverse supporting member having a forward edge normally engaging the front wall between the lower edge of the manipulator andthe opening, the objects to be dispensed being disposed above and lying on the supporting member, with one of them normally against the front wall, between the lower edge of the manipulator and the edge of the supporting member, the discharge opening being in and above the lower edge of the front wall, the manipulator being in the shape of an inverted L, and being connected to the rearwall of the container, the manipulator and the supporting member being made from a folded blank, the container being initially a single sheet blank, folded and glued as desired.

5. In a package, a container having a discharge opening, an ejector constructed to be moved downwardly for ejection of articles singly and downwardly through said opening, and an article supporting floor, the ejector and the floor being within the coniincs of the container when the latter is used as a I shipping package, so as not to interfere with both the ejector and the Hoor being strips of paper or the like properly cut and folded in zigzag formation and adhesively secured to and forming inserts for the container.

6. A construction of the character described in claim 5, wherein the ejector is in the shape of an inverted L and is connected to the rear wall.

7. A construction of the character described in claim 5, wherein the ejector and the floor are integral and are made from a single, cut and folded blank, of substantially uniform width.

8. A construction of the character described in claim 5, wherein the floor is the upper part of a V-shaped strip whose lower part supports the floor.

9. A construction of the character described in claim 5, wherein the ejector comprises a doubly folded strip, of inverted L shape, connected to the rear wall, and formed to provide an ejector return spring.

10. In a package, a container having an article containing compartment having an opening from which articles are to be ejected downwardly, and insert means therein made of paper strip or the like cut and folded in zigzag formation to form a floor for the compartment, a floor support, a slide ejector of inverted L shape, and an ejector return spring.

1l. In a package, a container having an article containing compartment having an opening from which articles are to be ejected downwardly, and insert means therein made of paper strip or the like cut and folded in zigzag formation to form an upwardly projecting member, a compartment floor supported thereby, a compartment ceiling connected to the upper edge of the floor, and a slide ejector projecting downwardly from the forward edge of the ceiling to the forward edge of the floor.

l2. In a package, a container having an article containing compartment having an opening from which articles are to be ejected downwardly, and insert means therein made of paper strip or the like cut and folded in zigzag formation to form an upwardly projecting member, a compartment floor supported thereby, a compartment ceiling connected to the upper edge of the floor, and a slide ejector projecting downwardly from the forward edge of the ceiling to the forward edge of the floor and a return spring on the upper edge of the slide ejector.

13. A construction of the character described in claim 10 wherein the container has a cover part overlying the ceiling and provided with an opening through which the ceiling is accessible to the outside of the container, to permit manual lowering of the ej ector by iinger-push on the ceiling.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

. RICHARD P.WARE. 

